May 17, 2012
With the Senate Foreign Relations Committee announcement of a hearing scheduled for May 23, momentum is building for the Law of the Sea Treaty. Senators have begun to speak out in support for ratification and its economic and national security benefits for America:
Senator Jim Webb, in a press release on the Treaty hearing: “The unresolved and increasing confrontations over sovereignty and other issues in the Pacific Ocean areas from Northeast to Southeast Asia--including those involving U.S. vessels--underscore the need for long-term, multilateral resolutions, such as those afforded by this treaty.”
Senators Jim Webb and Chris Coons, in a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry: “[The Treaty] advances our economic and environmental interests by enabling the United States to fully secure its continental shelf, resulting in an exclusive economic zone larger than that of any other country in the world. The ability to development (sic) new resources could benefit our energy security, industrial development, and overall economic well-being.”